Our beauty director shares the six new launches she's relying on this winter.
1. Shiseido White Lucent Luminizing Infuser
I've tried dozens of essences in the last year, but this is the first one I've actually incorporated into my routine. It's helped to ease the seasonal skin transition when I need more hydration, and the texture—a viscous, cherry blossom-scented water—helps smooth the complexion in preparation for serums and creams. ($50),
2. SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrato
Look at the ingredient list of almost any beauty product and it will contain hyaluronic acid. The molecule draws and keeps water in your skin, so it's a favorite for hydrating serums, foundations, and plumping creams. But not all HAs are created equal—most sit on top of the skin and have a temporary effect—and they come in all different molecular weights and structures. SkinMedica's HA5 includes five different types of hyaluronic acid for instant and long-lasting results. It is (yet another) additional step, but if you're forever dry, this will do the trick. ($178), (available at the end of January)
3. Kahina Giving Beauty Moroccan Beldi Soap
A lot of bath products are hammam-inspired, but this one truly feels like a spa treatment in the shower. It's a dark green goo made of just two ingredients—saponified olive and eucalyptus oil—that you apply all over your body and leave on for a few minutes in a steamy shower before scrubbing it off with a kessa, or black rayon cloth, that makes for a very invigorating exfoliation. The whole Kahina line in centered on ingredients and rituals from Morocco, but the piney scent did wonders for my sinuses in the early days of this New York winter. ($38),
